Machines in particular to military roads vehicles to obtain degree of buoyancy of these machines



Feb. 11, 1964 A. BUISSON 3,120,832

MACHINES IN PARTICULAR TO MILITARY ROADS VEHICLES TO OBTAIN DEGREE OFBUOYANCY OF THESE MACHINES Filed Sept. 27, 1961 United States Patent F3,120,832 MACHENES IN PARTHJULAR T6 MEITARY RAD VEHlQLEzS T0 GBTAINDEGREE GF BUGYANCY 0F Ti lhdii. MACf-HNES Andre Buisson, Paris, France,assignor to Socicte Anonyme dite: ociete Lorraine des AnciensEtablissemerits de Dietrich et Cie dc Lnneville, Paris, France, a Frenchsociety Filed Sept. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 141,573 Claims priority,appiication France hept. 2% 1969 Claims. (Cl. 115-4) The presentinvention relates to a device by means of which a certain degree ofbuoymcy can be imparted to machines, and in particular to military roadvehicles of the wheel or caterpillar-track type.

Various systems we already known wherein hollow, fluid-tight masses aremovably mounted on a vehicle and can be disposed on the lower portion ofthe vehicle in such manner as to increase the flotation surface thereof.

This arrangement has the disadvantage that it requires the use of masseswhich are generally cumbersome and in certain cases also vulnerable,notably in connection with military applications.

The present invention relates to a device which avoids the abovedisadvantages while providing various further advantages.

According to the invention, a device is proposed which comprises atleast one surface adapted to be opened out (unfolded) and which is offluid-tight material, the said surface being connected in fluid-tightmanner to the vehicle and delimiting an open chamber at its lower part.

According to a more special feature of the invention, the surfaceadapted to be opened out about the vehicle is connected thereto along aclosed curve, all the points of which normally remain out of the Waterwhen the vehicle floats.

According to yet a further feature of the invention, the surface adaptedto be unfolded is connected to the vehicle along a line the two ends ofwhich are normally submerged when the vehicle floats. According to anadvantageous embodiment, the inner chamber on the surface adapted to beunfolded is divided into compartments.

The invention will be more easily understood and the advantages thereofwill become clear from the following description given by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view of a vehicle equipped with the deviceaccording to the invention, and

FIGURE 2 is a variant of the device illustrated in FIG- URE 1.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the figure shows a vehicle having a surface 2,which is adapted to be unfolded, secured in fluid-tight manner on thebody 1. The said surface consists of two portions disposed, in thiscase, to the right and to the left of the vehicle and secured influidtight manner along two lines 3 the end 3a of whichfa single end ofeach line is visible in the figure) are normally submerged when thevehicle is floating. The surface 2 is water and air tight.

A diagrammatic representation is given, with the aid of dot-dash lines4, of the means permitting the unfolding of the surface 2 and theplacing in position thereof so as to float the vehicle. When it isunfolded, the surface 2 delimits a chamber which is open at its lowerportion and closed at its upper portion, due to the fluidtightness ofthe joint along the lines 3. When the vehicle enters the water, the aircontained within the chamber delimited by the surface 2 is slightlycompressed and a dif ference in level h is established between theexterior and the interior of the surface 2. This difference correspondsto the inner pressure of the acting on the inner wall 3,120,832 PatentedFeb. 11, 1964 of the surface 2 and also imparts to the vehicle a thrustacting in the upward direction.

in order to avoid the disadvantage of any lowering of pressure of thegas contained in the inner chamber Within the surface 2, it isadvantageous to provide for the exhaust of the vehicle engine into thesaid chamber. In this way, an excess pressure is maintained in thechamber which contributes to permanently maintaining the desired effect.Due to this arrangement, it is possible, notably in the case of acaterpillar-track vehicle, to determine the characteristics of thesurface 2, in such manner that the caterpillar bands are only partiallysubmerged, so that they can be utilized during the floating of thevehicle to provide a certain degree of propulsion for the vehicle.

If reference is now made to FIGURE 2, it will be seen that this figureillustrates a variant of the device of FIG- URE 1. The vehicle 5 has,substantially, the contours of a combat car (tank) and a surface 6adapted to be unfolded is secured to the vehicle in fluid-tight manner,along a closed periphery 7 normally above the water when the vehicle isfloating. The surface 6 adapted to be unfolded has then an umbrellashape and may consist for example of an air and water tight fabricsecured on ribs shown diagrammatically at 8, and capable of sliding onthe said ribs. When the vehicle is displaced over the ground, thesurface 6 is folded back and consequently does not in any way hinder themovements of the vehicle and, on the other hand, there is no risk of itsbeing damaged. When the vehicle enters the water, the surface 6 isunfolded and, in the same way as before, a difference of level h is setup between the level within the open chamber delimited by the surface 6and the exterior of the said surface. The pressure of the air acting onthe surface thus contributes to maintaining the vehicle slightlysubmerged in the water, and permits, where required, the utilization ofits means for road propulsion, for the displacement thereof in thewater.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the above embodiments whichhave been described by way of nonlimitative example; on the contrary, itcovers all variants including various devices for the unfolding oropening out of fluid-tight surfaces, either with the aid of jacks orwith the aid of belt systems or other known devices; furthermore, thesurface adapted to be unfolded itself may comprise any material, whichis preferably but not necessarily pliable.

The surfaces 2, 6 are in effect walls or wall members.

I claim:

.1. A land based vehicle comprising a mobile chassis having drivingmeans for moving the vehicle on the ground and a fluidtight structurelater-ally disposed on said chassis, said fluid-tight structure having acollapsed state in which the structure is collapsed against the chassisand an expanded state in which the structure constitutes at least oneskirt flaring outwardly and downwardly of said chassis to define achamber having a downward facing opening to increase the buoyancy of thevehicle to float the vehicle in a. liquid with the driving means onlypartially submerged so that the driving means is effective to also atleast partially drive the vehicle in the liquid, fsaid vehicle furthercomprising means for selecting one of said states. I

2. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said skirt extends entirelyaround the vehicle.

3. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 wherein said chamber iscompartmented.

4. A vehicle as. claimed in claim 1 comprising an exhaust on saidchassis opening into said chamber.

5. A vehicle as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for supplying agaseous medium to said chamber.

6. A vehicle comprising a mobile chassis and a fluidtight structurelaterally disposed on said chassis, said fluid-tight structure having acollapsed state in which the stwucture is collapsed against the chassisand an expanded state in which the structure constitutes at least oneskirt flaring outwardly and downwardly of said chassis, said skirthaving a downwardly facing opening and defining an open chamber toincrease the buoyancy of the vehicle, said vehicle further comprisingmeans operatively coupled to said fluid-tight structure for selectingone of said states thereof.

7. A vehicle as claimed in claim 6 wherein said skirt 10 extendsentirely around the vehicle.

8. A vehicle as claimed in claim 6 wherein said chamber iscompartmented.

9. A vehicle as claimed in claim 6 comprising an exhaust on said chassisopening into said chamber.

10. A vehicle as claimed in claim 6 comprising means for supplying agaseous medium to said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,319,424 Schneider Oct. 21, 1919 2,075,785 Van Caneghein Mar. 30, 19372,386,132 McLarty Oct. 2, 1945 2,453,149 McCutchen Nov. 9, 1948 FOREIGNPATENTS 15,036 Great Britain 1895

1. A LAND BASED VEHICLE COMPRISING A MOBILE CHASSIS HAVING DRIVING MEANSFOR MOVING THE VEHICLE ON THE GROUND AND A FLUID-TIGHT STRUCTURELATERALLY DISPOSED ON SAID CHASSIS, SAID FLUID-TIGHT STRUCTURE HAVING ACOLLAPSED STATE IN WHICH THE STRUCTURE IS COLLAPSED AGAINST THE CHASSISAND AN EXPANDED STATE IN WHICH THE STRUCTURE CONSTITUTES AT LEAST ONESKIRT FLARING OUTWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY OF SAID CHASSIS TO DEFINE ACHAMBER HAVING A DOWNWARD FACING OPENING TO INCREASE THE BUOYANCY OF THEVEHICLE TO FLOAT THE VEHICLE IN A LIQUID WITH THE DRIVING MEANS ONLYPARTIALLY SUBMERGED SO THAT THE DRIVING MEANS IS EFFECTIVE TO ALSO ATLEAST PARTIALLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THE LIQUID, SAID VEHICLE FURTHERCOMPRISING MEANS FOR SELECTING ONE OF SAID STATES.